


Named

by jg291



Category: Big Brother RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-19
Updated: 2015-01-01
Packaged: 2018-02-17 23:46:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2327543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jg291/pseuds/jg291
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zankie soulmates AU. Zach knows someone named Frankie is his soulmate, but Frankie has no such knowledge. Zach's convinced his Frankie is a girl, but everything changes when he enters the BB house.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

When Zach wakes up on his 15th birthday, he sees a word written on his left hipbone that was definitely not there the night before. He can’t read it right away – he just got contact lenses and doesn’t sleep with them yet, but when he rubs his hand over the word – the name – he feels a bit of a tingle he’s never felt before. It’s a name, he’s sure of it. He’s one of the lucky ones.

He runs to the bathroom and gets his contacts in as quick as he can. When he can finally see, he looks at the mark’s reflection in the mirror. Frankie, his hip says. 

Zach’s a bit freaked out at first – Frankie is a boy’s name. But he runs downstairs to see if his parents are awake, and of course they are – it’s his 15th birthday. They had to be prepared for whatever was to come. 

“Well?” his mom inquiries gently. 

He pushes the tip of his boxers down, just out of the way, so they can see the mark that wasn’t there 10 hours ago. His mom’s face lights up and his dad breaks out into a smile.

“Well, son, what’s the name?” 

“Frankie,” Zach mumbles.

“You don’t seem excited, Zach. Are you worried because Frankie seems like a boy’s name?” his mom asks. 

Zach nods sheepishly.

She continues – “oh don’t worry, baby. One of my friends in college was a girl named Frankie – well, Francesca – but you know how the system works. You get they name they go by, not the name they’re born with. I’m so happy for you!” 

Zach does know how it works. If someone had his name, it wouldn’t be Zachary. It would be Zach.

But Zach knows now – no one has it. He’s one of the lucky ones – the named. Not everyone gets a name when they turn fifteen. Only one half out of every pair. If your fifteenth birthday comes and goes without a name showing up somewhere on your body, you’re one of the unlucky - the nameless. Nameless live their lives in anxiety, waiting for the day their soulmate reveals himself or herself. Not every nameless gets a match – which only adds to the fear and paranoia that comes along with being nameless.

It leads to a weird dynamic. Nameless date each other, never knowing what their futures are going to be. Some of them manage to find content lives with each other, leading almost to the level of happiness matched pairs find. It’s particularly terrible when two nameless come together for long enough to get used to it, to start a family, and then one meets his match and destroys his partner’s life. You can’t deny a soulmate bond. People try, but it just doesn’t work.

It’s different for the named. They fall into two main types – some of them develop promiscuous lifestyles with other named, fooling around until they meet their match. There’s no point in developing a serious relationship when you know it won’t work out. The rest just – don’t. Don’t date, don’t explore, don’t try. They’ll find happiness soon enough, and their soulmates will love them regardless of their lack of experience. Some of the nameless even find it endearing. 

Zach suspects he’ll fall into the latter category. He hasn’t really been interested in many girls at school, and he’ll find the right one someday. He’s not worried.

***

He ends up dating a little, in high school and college. It never amounts to anything serious, usually ending after a couple of dates, but it’s all in good fun. The girls don’t expect anything from him – they too are waiting for their knights in shining armor. Zach’s never even met a girl named Frankie, but he’s fine with that – when he meets her, he thinks he’ll know.

Right after graduation, he decides on a whim to audition for Big Brother. He enjoyed the show growing up and maybe it’ll give him the exposure he needs to meet his true love. 

He’s surprised when he gets a call back from the CBS team, even more surprised when they actually want him on the show. The crew routinely picks more nameless houseguests than named – more potential for a showmance that way – but they always throw a few named in, just in case. It’s happened twice before, two pairs of soulmates meeting their other halves on the show. The ratings were never higher than on BB11 and BB12. 

Zach’s so excited to go into the house when the time finally rolls around. He finds out in the studio that he’s part of a second group of 8 – eight contestants have already been in the house for a day. He’s a bit worried about what that means. Have all the strong alliances already been formed, before he even got a chance?

The first guy he meets when he gets inside is named Cody. Cody could be his bro, Zach thinks. He hears Cody explain about how they already had an HOH competition, how the first of two heads of household has already been crowned. He asks Cody to introduce him to the HOH, so Zach can cozy up to the person who might control his fate for the week. 

Cody turns him around to look at the HOH, and he’s the hottest guy Zach’s ever seen.

Wait. Wait wait wait. Since when has Zach ever thought a guy was hot before? Yes, this was definitely new. 

The HOH glances at him, his eyes lighting up. He walks over to Zach and Cody and asks Cody to introduce him to the beautiful man standing in front of him.

Oh good. The hot guy seems gay. Meanwhile, Zach’s internal monologue is screaming. What is going on with him?

The HOH looks at him expectantly, and Zach realizes it’s time for him to introduce himself. “Zach, hey. I’m Zach.”

“Why, Zach, how lovely you are. I’m excited to get to know you this summer! I’m Frankie.”

Frankie.

Frankie.

The hot guy’s name is Frankie. Without thinking, Zach glances to his hip. He’s so lucky his soulmate mark is in an easily covered area. 

“Well, Frankie, it’s nice to meet you as well.” The name seems weird in his mouth. He doesn’t like to say it aloud, it gives him a tingly feeling he’s not really sure how to handle. 

This is going to be a long summer, Zach thinks as he looks at Frankie. But this guy isn’t his soulmate. He just happens to have the same name.

He’s looking for a girl.

Right?


	2. Chapter 2

Before Zach’s half of the contestants can have their HOH competition, Big Brother asks them to sit around the table to introduce themselves to the group and to America. They share their names, occupations, level of engagement with the show, and of course, whether or not they are named.

 

As Zach expected, most of the HGs are nameless. Donny and Derrick are two of the named, but they have their matches waiting back at home for them. Jocasta and Christine are nameless, but they both have husbands who have their names. And Victoria, well, she has the name Hayden written on her left shoulder. The Hayden in the house seems justifiably freaked, which Zach totally gets. He would never spend a day with this girl voluntarily, let alone a lifetime.

 

Zach lies about his status. You can’t say you’re a named and then not share the name – it’s impossible. Zach is glad he has his name in a place easily hidden. He’s not sure he wants anyone to know he has the name of a fellow houseguest, let alone a male one.

 

He’s mean to Frankie at first, even after he loses the HOH competition to Caleb. Zach finds out what high school Frankie attended and mocks him. As he teases Frankie, Zach has no idea what he’s doing. It just comes out. Zach doesn’t want to be mean, but he’s scared as fuck. He’s never met anyone named Frankie before – Franks, yes, and even a Francesca, but not a Frankie.  He thinks if he can distance himself from Frankie, it’ll be the safest idea.

 

It turns out it’s a terrible idea. Every instinct in his body tells him to go up to Frankie and apologize. He just can’t be mean to this guy. It won’t work.

 

***

 

After dinner, he approaches Frankie, who’s alone at the pool table.

 

“Hey,” Zach says awkwardly. He has no idea how to follow up. Maybe this was a bad idea.

  

“Look, I can tell you have a problem with me,” Frankie declares. “Is it because I’m so obviously gay? I didn’t come into this house to be discriminated against on the basis of my sexual orientation, so just let me know if that’s the deal, so I can stay away from you. I don’t want to associate with bigots.”

 

Oh fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. Zach doesn’t know why, but he needs Frankie to like him. This was definitely a bad idea. Still, he needs to try to apologize.

 

“Hey, no. That’s the opposite of what’s going on. I actually came over here to apologize for being a dick earlier. I’m a little out of my element right now, and I’m pretty sure I was cast to be the villain this year, and I was trying out the persona. I obviously didn’t do it right, and I really hope you can forgive me.”

 

Frankie lights up, his lips curling into the most beautiful smile Zach has ever seen. Has Zach mentioned how smitten he is? Nope. That will never come out. Ever.

 

“Glad to hear it!” Frankie exclaims. “You actually seemed cool, before you blew up at me. I’ve never heard someone describe being unemployed so positively before.”

 

“I mean, I’ve only been out of college for a short time. I caddy at the local golf course a lot, and I spend a lot of time babysitting my little broski.”

 

“You have a brother?” Frankie asks. “How old?”

 

“Peyton’s ten. You have any siblings?”

 

“A sister. Ari. She’s much younger than me, too, but I love her to death.” All of a sudden, Frankie gets this look on his face like he did something wrong. Zach is confused, but he knows he hates that look. He wants it to go away right now.

 

“Anyways,” Frankie continues quickly, like he’s eager to change the subject, “want me to beat your ass at pool?”

 

“I mean, you can try, but there’s other things my ass could be doing…” Zach winks.

 

Oh, Zach makes gay sex jokes now, apparently. This is wonderful. But Frankie beams delightedly, before breaking out into laughter.

 

“Why, Zachary, I think we might actually get along.”

 

***

 

They play pool for about twenty-five minutes before Cody walks over to join. In that time, Zach feels like he’s already made his best friend in the house, and he gets a final two deal out of it. The others will never suspect it.

 

Fucking Cody, though, ruins everything. Zach can feel Frankie’s mood drop as the conversation turns to Cody’s life in New York. (Zach hopes Cody doesn’t hear Frankie muttering about his life actually being in New Jersey.) When Devin walks over a few minutes later, Frankie goes inside to find some dessert. Zach is sad he can’t follow him, but he shouldn’t let the others know they actually like each other. That just wouldn’t work.

 

Life continues as normal for the next few days, well as normal as it can be in the _Big Brother_ house. He becomes closer with Frankie when he doesn’t think the others are looking, and he isn’t sad when Frankie has to give up his HOH crown to Caleb. Frankie has to sleep downstairs now, with the rest of them. Maybe Zach can convince him to sleep in the bed next to him.

 

Zach seriously has it bad. He’s like 90% sure this Frankie is _his_ Frankie, and just a few days into the season, he’s shockingly okay with that. He wonders what his parents will think when the season starts in a few days and they learn there’s a Frankie on it. Will they suspect?

 

He doesn’t know how Frankie feels, though. He’s flirtatious with Zach, but then again, he’s flirtatious with all the guys in the house. Zach thinks he gets the most attention, but he’s not sure about that.

 

***

 

Zach gets a little surprise a few days later. He’s sitting on the edge of the pool, his feet in. He’s enjoying the rare solitude when Amber comes and sits next to him.

 

“I know your secret, you know,” she says, somewhat teasingly. “I’m really good at telling about who’s lying about their status.”

 

“Hmmm?” Zach inquires. He plays dumb. He knows what she’s talking about, but hopes she’ll leave it alone.

 

Amber laughs. She really is beautiful, Zach thinks, but she just doesn’t do it for him.

 

“C’mon, Zach, I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.”

 

“Amber, what are you talking about?” He’ll let her guess. If she guesses right, he’ll admit it. He’ll swear her to secrecy, though. Amber seems trustworthy enough.

 

“You’re named, Zach, aren’t you? And you don’t seem like the type to lie about your status because you want to hook up, so I’m guessing your name is someone in the house?”

 

Damn, she’s spot on. But now Zach’s curious how she knows, so he admits that she’s right but that she has to tell him how she figured it out.

 

“I’m named, too, Zach.”

 

“Someone in the house?” He hopes it’s not Caleb, for her sake.

 

“Yeah,” she draws out, reluctantly. She looks like she’s come to a decision. “Cody. I don’t think it’s this Cody, though, which is why I haven’t said anything. I don’t want to cause too much drama. How about you? Nicole?”

 

Zach laughs, thinking it hilarious she would even find that a possibility. If Zach had to put up with Nicole’s voice for eternity, he thinks he would kill himself. He shakes his head, indicating no.

 

She then asks about Brittany. Zach doesn’t see how he can get out of this conversation without telling her.

 

“Frankie,” Zach admits. “My match is named Frankie.”

 

Amber’s mouth opens in shock. “Are you –“

 

Zach cuts her off, shaking his head adamantly.

 

“I’m not sure. Maybe?” Yes, but she doesn’t need to know that. Zach’s inner monologue is so much more comfortable with itself than is his outer persona. He should work on that. “Please don’t tell anyone? I know it’s hard to ask for trust in the _Big Brother_ house, but this is different.”

 

“Of course, Zach,” she says, smiling. “I won’t mention about Frankie if you don’t mention about Cody.”

 

“Deal.”

 

She walks away, and Zach feels a little lighter. He didn’t like holding his secret in so close to his chest. He’s not sure, though. Even with the mutually assured destruction involved, he isn’t quite positive he can trust Amber. Maybe his secret will get out.

 

Maybe that isn’t such a bad thing.

 

\---------

Come visit my [tumblr](mangoapplepie.tumblr.com)! I usually post updates there first, if that's any motivation :) 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weeks 2, 3, and 4 in the house.

Week 2 sucks. Zach thinks he’s still growing, a little bit, and being on slop is basically killing him. He starts to get emotional, feeling that he shouldn’t be here, that he should just go home. He hates that he has to sleep on the ice block, but even more so, he hates that he can’t even sleep in the same room as Frankie. Not that they even really slept in the same room week 1, but Zach liked knowing he had the option.

  

Unsurprisingly, Frankie is the only one who can get Zach to chill. If Zach wasn’t immediately sure that this Frankie was his soulmate, he is now. He’s heard about the calming effects just being around your soulmate can cause, but he never understood what it would feel like. Frankie walks in the room, and Zach feels like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders. He wonders if Frankie feels it, too.

 

His mom told him a few years back that the named partner always feels the soul bond a little more strongly, at first. The named had the advantage, you see – their mate had to be someone with their name. The nameless were always a little unsure, until the bond kicked in fully.   

 

But Zach can’t be around Frankie every minute of every day (though he hopes one day he’ll have that privilege), and so he has a bit of a breakdown. He does enough damage to get himself up on the block, to turn Devin against him. He hopes his blowup isn’t enough to get the whole house against him, but he knows what he’s going to tell Frankie if he’s evicted.

 

‘Frankie, I lied to you. I’m named. The name I have on me, is your name. My mate’s name is Frankie, and I’m so sure it’s you. Come find me after you win this thing, okay?’

 

He keeps it short and sweet, because he knows he’ll only have a few moments after Julie tells him to leave the house.

 

Luckily, he doesn’t get out. The Bomb Squad, minus Devin of course, rallies around him to evict Pao-pao. He has more time to figure out this thing with Frankie. He doesn’t need to lay the bombshell right yet.

 

***

 

Derrick gets to keep HOH the following week, and he is firmly committed to getting out Devin. Zach feel so much calmer after the group saved him – he knows he can be annoying, but it doesn’t mean he doesn’t care what other people think of him.

 

But really, when Zach isn’t kidding himself, he admits that the main reason he cares is that Frankie didn’t try to get him out. Or at least, he didn’t try hard enough. Zach doesn’t know what he would do if his match turned on him.

 

Zach can’t decide how (whether) to share with Frankie the name on his hip. In the meantime, though, he can’t keep away. He loves the way Frankie dances, he loves the characters Frankie plays, he loves the way Frankie seems genuinely interested in what he has to say, rather than just tolerating Zach like the other houseguests seem to do.

 

It becomes common knowledge that Zach and Frankie are close, even to the point where people start referring to them in collective – Zankie.

 

Zach fucking loves that. He’s heard of ship names before, but he’s never really gotten into that sort of thing, and he can’t even believe he’s part of one. He wonders if America is invested in his relationship with Frankie. He thinks they are, because the Diary Room hasn’t let him lie about his status. America knows he’d named, and they know he will belong to a Frankie. He doesn’t think it’s hard to tell that this Frankie is destined to be his mate.

 

 As for now, he lets the game play out. The week goes on without any real complications, and they get Devin out just like planned.

 

***

 

When Cody and Frankie get paired for the next HOH competition, Zach finds himself rooting for them. Yeah, it’d be great for him to get a gift basket and a letter from his family, but then he’d have to share HOH with Amber. The fact that she’s the only person in the house to know his secret makes him partial to her, but he still doesn’t trust her as a game player.

 

So when Frankie’s pair wins, Zach finds himself thrilled. He knows he’s safe for the week, and he can rest easy.

 

This time, though, when Frankie loses the HOH key, Zach’s disappointed. He was looking forward to maybe being invited to stay the night – Zach and Frankie haven’t quite shared a bed yet (overnight), and Zach feels an ache every time he goes to bed without Frankie folded into him.

 

Somehow, though, Frankie not only manages to convince Cody to let Frankie sleep up in the HOH bedroom, but he scores an invite for Zach as well. Zach sleeps so much better when Frankie’s close, and they basically perfected the art of cuddling. Zach feels a tingle when Frankie curls into him, and he wonders if Frankie feels it too.

 

Saturday morning, Cody gets up really early to prepare for the Veto competition, or something. He might have muttered something about Zankie taking over his bed before sort of storming out of the room, but it falls on deaf ears to the two men remaining in bed. Zach can tell that Frankie’s been awake for a while – the older man got a little restless but stayed in bed, next to Zach. Zach decides to rouse so he can take full advantage of his time with Frankie.

 

“Hey,” Zach mutters sleepily, rubbing his fingers down Frankie’s chest to let Frankie know he’s awake.

 

“Hey yourself, sleepyhead!” Frankie’s always so cheerful, even first thing in the morning. Zach can’t get enough of the light he brings to any room he’s in.

 

Frankie stretches out so that he’s on his side. His face probably couldn’t be closer to Zach’s if he tries. Zach could just lean in, bring their mouths together, and probably feel the most incredible he’s ever felt.

 

But a soul bond is a huge thing, and Cody could walk back in any minute. Zach knows he could figure out if Cody was coming back by turning on the TV, but Zach doesn’t want to break the little cocoon of solitude Frankie managed to create for them.

 

Zach says the first thing he can think of, sitting up in bed as he does so because being so close to Frankie but not touching (kissing) is actually torture to him.

 

“You think they’ll let us play in the Veto?” Zach asks.

 

Frankie groans, in frustration. Zach can think of other ways he would prefer Frankie to groan.

 

“God, I hope so. I love these competitions, I feel like I’m just great at them.”

 

To anyone else, it would sound cocky. To Zach, it just sounds right. Frankie _is_ great at the competitions – he’s great at everything he tries.

 

“Yeah, bro, you totally are.”

 

It feels like Frankie’s face falls when Zach calls him bro. Zach makes a mental note to try to stop doing that. The way to introduce that he is Frankie’s probable mate is not by referring to him with the most platonic word possible.

 

Like anyone could see a platonic relationship if they looked how much Frankie and Zach touched each other in their sleep, but Zach really wants to make sure he does it right.

 

Soon, though, the wake-up music starts playing and Frankie and Zach get ready for the veto player reveal.

 

***

 

Frankie is incredibly disappointed when he doesn’t get picked for the veto, and Zach tries to cheer him up by telling him if it’s a prize competition, he’ll win something for them.

 

The competition goes perfectly. Brittany loses, Cody gets a punishment that will keep him outside all night, Nicole looks hilarious in her Germatard, and Zach wins a trip to Germany. He assures Frankie after the competition that he’ll most definitely be taking him. They’ll be bonded by then, and it will be a perfect trip.

 

They have the HOH room to themselves that night, with Cody being stuck outside. Zach knows he should talk to Frankie about what is going on with them, with the time alone, but he’s scared. He _knows_ Frankie is his match, he’s never been surer of anything in his life.

 

But what if he’s wrong? He could be wrong. Frankie could also be hiding his named status, he might want someone closer to his age, he might just be indulging Zach to advance his gameplay. It’s such a small possibility, but if Zach is wrong about this, he’s not sure he’d be able to take the heartbreak.

 

So they just sleep. Curled up into each other so close you’d think the bed was a twin, not a king, but that is just the way Zach likes it.

 

***

 

He gets the confirmation he needs a few days later. Frankie walks out of the DR Wednesday night looking devastated, and Zach feels like he has been punched in the gut. He knows something terrible happened, and he needs to find out what so he can help Frankie deal.

 

When Frankie reveals that his grandfather passed away, Zach starts to understand his feelings. He feels like he lost a family member, too, and in a way, he sort of has. He’ll never get to meet the man who helped to raise Frankie and turn him into the wonderful beautiful person he is today.

 

Zach takes a moment to cry on his own, before going back to be strong for Frankie. He knows that his presence nearby will soothe Frankie, so he just tries to stay close. And when the time is right, he’ll let Frankie know about the name on his hip. He thinks it’ll give Frankie a reason to be happy again, and Zach can’t stand to see him sad any longer than necessary. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the feedback so far - it motivates me to write faster! Next update will probably come in a few days or so.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zankie HOH week!

It’s another 24 hours before Zach sees Frankie happy again. Sure, he puts on a brave face for the live show, but that’s not the same thing.

 

Frankie doesn’t even give a genuine smile when Derrick hands over the HOH win to him. It only comes a few moments later, when Zach wins as well, making it officially ‘Zankie HOH week’.

 

Zach can’t wait to have that suite alone with Frankie, but unfortunately, they spend most of Thursday night (and morning) figuring out their nominations. Zach is determined to make a big move, shake things up. He won’t admit it, he’s stirring up drama to protect his feelings in case his reveal to Frankie doesn’t go as planned.

 

He feels like he’s about to coin a catchphrase, though, when the term ‘fruit loop dingus’ shows up in his mind, so this week will definitely be good for something, at least.

 

***

 

The BotB comes and goes, and Nicole and Christine easily win, dethroning Zach. He’s glad, though, because Frankie gets to keep his CD and the suite for the first time, and Zach has a feeling he’ll be invited to sleep up there, anyway.

 

Friday proves pretty tiring for Frankie, though, with the grief pushed away to deal with the business of nominations and the Battle of the Block. When Frankie announces around 10pm he wants to turn in at a ‘normal person hour’ that night, Zach feigns exhaustion by yawning and agreeing with Frankie. Going to “bed” soon sounds like a great idea. About 90 minutes later, they head upstairs after saying goodnight to the rest of the houseguests.

 

Frankie actually starts to get ready for bed. He seems so, so sad, though, that Zach decides he needs to do something about it. The logical response to is to tackle Frankie so that Zach is straddling the older man on the bed, right? Zach starts tickling Frankie until he gets to see a smile.

 

“Zachary Rance, stop that right now!” Frankie wheezes out between his giggles. Zach doesn’t, of course.

 

“I just wanted to see you smile, babe,” Zach laughs. “My plan worked!”

 

“Oh, did it?” Frankie purrs. “Let’s see about that.” Frankie wraps his legs tight around Zach’s waist and uses the leverage to roll them over so that Frankie is now on top and can tickle away.

 

Zach squeaks. He notices how incredibly hard he has become and Frankie must notice too, when he tenses up and rolls off of Zach, still laughing.

 

Zach misses the pressure, misses the way everything feels right when Frankie is on top of him. He can’t take hiding his feelings any more, he isn’t even sure why he ever even tried. Frankie is clearly his mate, he’s never felt this way about _anybody_ , this is just the most perfect thing in the world. He doesn’t even care that the whole world might be watching, he _needs_ this. He needs his Frankie.

 

 “Come back here,” Zach growls.

 

Frankie, bless his heart, looks incredibly confused. “Zach? I thought we were just playing? You’re straight. Right?”

 

“Frankie, do I seem straight to you? I’ve wanted you since day 2. Come back. Now.”

 

So Frankie resumes his position on top of Zach. He still seems unsure what to do, though, so Zach takes the initiative and collides their mouths together.  

 

Zach is pretty sure that if fireworks are exploding in his body right now. Kissing Frankie brings him so close to the edge that he has to pull back, so he doesn’t come in his pants like a 13-year-old.

 

Adorably, Frankie thinks something is wrong. “Too much, babe?”

 

“Fraaankiieeee, I kissed you. Stop worrying. I want this.” Frankie’s face blooms into a giant smile, one that Zach wants to keep there forever. “I just want this to be perfect, our first time together.”

 

“First time doing what, exactly?” Frankie asks, as he starts shaking his hips so that Zach can feel Frankie’s now hard cock rubbing against his own.

 

“You, this, everything. I want everything, Frankie.” Zach leans into to kiss Frankie’s neck like has become standard for the pair, but instead of a soft peck, he applies pressure hard enough so that he might just leave a mark. Frankie moans and it is the hottest sound Zach has ever heard.  He wants to hear that forever. Luckily, he thinks he can.

 

Frankie’s whimpers prove to be too much for Zach, who just has to go back to kissing Frankie’s mouth in the meantime. They kiss for long enough that they end up out of breath, and Zach can barely hear the question Frankie asks when he pulls away. He figures it out, though, once he blinks and Frankie’s shirt has come off. Fuck, his body is perfect. All lean muscle – Zach wants to explore every inch of it.

 

Frankie’s fingers linger at the hem of Zach’s gator shirt and Zach leans up just enough to allow Frankie to take it off. Frankie, who’s been rubbing his hips around Zach this whole time, shifts his weight so he can start kissing his way down Zach’s chest. Zach shivers when Frankie gets close to the top of his shorts, before he suddenly sits up.

 

“Zach, you’ve done this before, right?”

 

“Babe, I’m not really sure what you mean,” Zach hedges. “I mean, I’ve been with girls, but never like this – never with a guy, never with my –-“

 

Zach sucks in a breath when Frankie’s hand finds its way into Zach’s boxers. It’s been ages since someone else’s hand has touched his cock, and the pressure he feels from Frankie’s hand is just too much to bear.

 

“Off. Now.” Zach growls.

 

Zach expects that Frankie will need at least 10 seconds to open up his shorts and get them off, but somehow he just starts sliding down. Zach doesn’t mind that his boxers seem to be coming off, too. He giggles, slightly in shock that he’s about to get naked not only in front of a man (his soulmate) for the first time, but also in front of America. Hopefully production is focusing the feeds on someone else right now.

 

Zach feels a slight chill when his shorts start coming off, but he’s busy spouting off nonsense about how excited he is, how amazing Frankie is, how he needs Frankie to get his pants off _right now_ when suddenly, Frankie pulls away sharply, sitting up and turning away. He grabs his shirt by reaching over, but not touching Zach, and heads for the door.

 

“What the fuck, Frankie?” Zach’s upset that sex no longer seems to be in his future but even more so because something has obviously upset Frankie. Zach’s lying on the bed, shirtless with his pants half off, with no idea what’s going on.

 

“What the fuck is a good question, Rance. Maybe I should ask you that myself.”

 

“Frankiee,” Zach whines, “seriously, what’s wrong? Did you just remember America might be watching? We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, or you and I can get close under the covers, or –“

 

Frankie cuts him off again. “Did you DO something? Are you fucking kidding me?”

 

Zach knows Frankie well enough to know he’s about to burst out into tears, that he wants to get out of the situation before he can do so, but Zach needs to know what’s going on.

 

“Frankie, please tell me. What just happened? How can I fix it?”

 

“Look at yourself, Zach. You tell me what you did.”

 

Zach glances down his body. Bare chest, shorts and boxers half off, and oh -.

 

Frankie got Zach’s boxers down far enough that part of his name is showing. Unfortunately, it’s just the **ie**. It could be any name.

 

Zach’s eyes widen in understanding and Frankie takes this as his cue to start yelling. “You’re named, Zach? What the fuck is wrong with you? Just thought you’d have some fun with the idiot nameless guy because there’s no way to meet your mate in the _Big Brother_ house – it’s gonna a few weeks until you and Katie or Angie or Jackie can have a wonderful life with each other – so you might as play around with the guy who’s so obviously fallen in love with you, just so you can get laid? What are you doing, playing with me to try to get a vote? Fuck you, Zach. Fuck you.”

 

Frankie starts walking to the door. Zach knows he only has a second or two to fix this. “Frankie, wait! Let me explain.”

 

Frankie turns, a quizzical expression on his face. “How the fuck do you think you can explain this one? You played me, I fell for it, it’s _not_ gonna happen again,” he declares as he places his hand on the doorknob.

 

“It’s you, Frankie!” Zach shouts. “The name on my hip – it’s yours. It’s Frankie. You’re my match, my soulmate.”

 

Zach feels like his world is crashing down around him. This isn’t how this was supposed to go – he was supposed to tell Frankie first – but he forgot everything because he was horny and so Frankie’s pissed and leaving and everything is wrong.

 

But Frankie walks back to the bed after locking the door to the HOH room again. He demands,  “Let me see.” 

 

So Zach takes his boxers down all the way, so that he’s lying on the bed stark naked. He hears Frankie’s sharp intake of breath when his eyes focus on Zach’s left hip, at the name that has sat there for almost nine years.

 

“Me?” Frankie asked. Zach had never heard him sound so unsure of anything.

 

“Yes, Frankie, of course it’s you. When we kissed just now, did it feel any different than other kisses you’ve had with guys?”

 

“Yeah, Zach, it did. But I just assumed it was because I might be in love with you,” Frankie trails off, unsure.

 

“Are you?” Zach needs to know.

 

“Like a little bit. I mean, yeah.”

 

“I’m in love with you – without a doubt,” Zach declares. “Can we go back to the sex now?”

 

Frankie laughs wholeheartedly and Zach feels like a thousand-pound weight has been lifted off his shoulders. Frankie gets back to work, kissing his way down Zach, but he stops at Zach’s hip, right over the mark. Zach gasps when Frankie’s lip touch his name. Zach’s whole body is on edge, his nerves are about to explode, he’s about to die.

 

“Frankie ---“ Zach sounds wrecked.

 

Frankie pulls up, a huge smile on his face. “That feel good?” he asks.

 

“The best, the fucking best – that’s the most sensitive spot on my body, apparently. You feel _amazing_ , Frankie." 

 

“We can see about that,” Frankie hums as he moves lower, down Zach’s thigh. He kisses just around the most sensitive areas, making Zach shiver in anticipation.

 

“Touch me, please, Frankie,” Zach begs. “I need your mouth.”

 

“Normally, I’d make you wait, especially because you’ve apparently waited a month to reveal a soulmate bond that I can’t wait to fully explore. Fuck, Zach, you’re named, and it’s mine. You’re mine. I didn’t think this would happen to me. _But_ , I can’t wait to see how a soul bond changes things. So…”

 

Frankie leans in and swipes his tongue once up Zach’s cock, which is fully erect and leaking just a little bit.

 

“Fuck, Frankie. More.”

 

Frankie puts his whole mouth over Zach’s cock, taking Zach in as deep as he can. Zach has to concentrate not to come then and there – he’s gotten blowjobs before, but none have ever been so electrifying. Frankie moves his mouth up, kissing the tip before sucking hard at the end. Zach lets out a moan he’s pretty sure they can hear downstairs, but he doesn’t care. This is the most amazing he’s ever felt.

 

Zach’s fingers find their way to Frankie’s hair and he starts pulling, just a little. He jerks his hips a little, and Frankie makes a bit of sound when he gets a little too deep. The sound comes out like a hum, though, and the vibrations make Zach melt even further into jelly. He makes eye contact with Frankie, who somehow communicates that a little movement is okay without stopping what he’s doing with his mouth. This bond thing is _amazing_.

 

Zach continues shaking his hips and starts fucking Frankie’s mouth – not too rough, but so that every part of his cock is being touched at any time. He isn’t going to last long, but then he can tell how close he is. He tries to tell Frankie he’s going to come, but he spends before he can finish getting the warning out. Frankie swallows, pulls his mouth away from Zach, and licks up the rest of the cum.

 

Zach collapses for a second before pulling Frankie back up to him. He brings Frankie’s mouth to his own, tasting himself on Frankie. When Frankie’s back on top of him, Zach realizes in the confusion he never even took off Frankie’s shorts. He flips Frankie over so that he’s now on top and works on the buttons.

 

“You don’t need to do anything, Zach – I’m so good right now,” Frankie laughs, breathless. Zach continues working with Frankie’s shorts until they’re off and grins when Frankie gasps when Zach finally touches him.

 

Frankie’s cock is beautiful. It’s the first Zach’s really looked at (besides his own, of course) and Zach can’t wait to experience all the things he can do with it.

 

Right now, though, he licks his hand so there’s some moisture on it, and grabs Frankie’s cock. He jerks it upwards, experimentally, and Frankie whines a little.

 

“Good?” Zach asks.

 

Frankie huffs. “I’m not made of glass, you know. You can use a little more pressure.”

 

Zach doesn’t know how Frankie can make jokes at a time like his – his body is so on edge, how can Frankie’s not be? But he gets to work, giving Frankie’s cock a few jerks with his left hand, and playing around with his right. Soon, he has Frankie moaning almost as loudly as Zach was a few moments prior, and he comes all over Zach’s hand.

 

Zach collapses onto Frankie and they lay there for a few minutes, before everything gets really sticky and they need to clean up. Zach lets Frankie get up from under him to grab a wet washcloth and he gets the area as clean as can be with Zach refusing to get out of bed. Soon, Frankie gets back into bed and curls into Zach. It’s so much better than last week, with no clothes getting in the way. Zach still feels electrified when Frankie touches him, and he hopes that never goes away.

 


	5. Chapter 5

The thing about soul bonds is that you think the bond is intense when you first discover it. But, from everything Zach has heard, it completely changes when the bond settles. For the first few weeks after consummation, mates need to be together as much as possible – not just in the same town, the same building, but rather the same room, the same bed. It seems like a terrible idea to settle the bond in the Big Brother house – not that Zach really understands how to settle his bond, anyway.

Frankie giggles when Zach tells him this, Monday night in the HOH suite. “Sex, Zachary, sex.” 

“Frankie…” Zach pauses, embarrassed. “I’ve only been told about the soul bond in the, well, heterosexual context.” 

“Haha, oh Zach, don’t worry. Our bond can most definitely be settled,” Frankie states mischievously. “As soon as the finale ends, I’m getting us to a hotel and we are working out that.”

So Frankie thinks it’s a good idea to wait, too. Awesome. Well, maybe ‘good’ isn’t the right word, but it’s a smart idea. Plus, there are many, many ways they can fool around without the bond being settled.

***

In the three days that follow, Zach learns quite a bit. Hand jobs, blow jobs, not rim jobs but Frankie talks them up, apparently even Frankie has a limit on what he would do when the world is watching. 

He doesn’t want Frankie’s HOH realm to end, but of course, it has to. The nightly cuddling really does a lot to raise Zach’s spirits. He knows he’s playing a game, but he’s too busy falling in love. When Amber leaves on Thursday, he’s a little sad. He swore to Frankie that Caleb would be a better target, but Frankie didn’t see eye to eye with him. Since it was Frankie’s HOH, he didn’t want to stir up drama by protesting too hard. 

It sucks when he gets nominated the next day, and it sucks even harder when he and Jocasta lose the BotB. Though, all of the BotBs to lose, this was probably the best one. It’s hilarious when Caleb and Victoria are chained together. Zach never wants the vines they’re wearing to disappear. They’re both so much more amusing this way. 

But seriously, the week is awful. After a full week of cuddling, and kissing (and more) with Frankie, he has to go back to sleeping alone while Frankie freezes on the ice block. It’s one thing when Zach is uncomfortable in the have-not room, but quite another when Frankie’s circulation literally fails him. They shouldn’t make him sleep there. It’s not fair. 

He loses the veto, and that sucks, too. Zach goes back to thinking about self-eviction, but that would mean taking himself away from Frankie, and that would just be awful. He decides not to do that, and instead focuses on his awesome eviction night poem. He knows his alliance has his back, so he doesn’t sweat it. He just looks forward to the end of the week when he and Frankie can share a bed again and things will be okay.

***

It turns out, though, that his alliance didn’t have his back, and it was Caleb of all people who convinced the rest of the Detonators to keep him. Zach doesn’t know what to think when Hayden calls out Frankie before unceremoniously getting thrown out the door during the double eviction.

Frankie wanted him out? Frankie ran to the girls after Nicole won HOH and tried to get him out again? Zach knows it’s a game, he does, but Frankie’s his fucking soul mate. They’re supposed to be in this together. The only upside of all this is that haven’t settled the bond – maybe Frankie isn’t the right guy after all.

(Of course he’s the right guy. Zach’s never felt this way about anybody. And the name is right. Of course he’s the right fucking guy).

But whatever, they can work it out after the game. Zach needs Frankie out right fucking now, he would go up on the block to throw the BotB, he can’t fucking stand him, can’t be around him. 

This being Big Brother, of course everything goes wrong. He stays on the block when Frankie wins the fucking Battle of the Block by himself, with Caleb literally sitting on the sidelines as Frankie just dominates the two-person competition. Then Christine picks him to be a have-not and it means he can’t eat food or take hot showers for the week.

(It means he has no shot of sleeping in the same bed as Frankie for the week, for the rest of the summer probably because he’s obviously going home this week, because Frankie’s just gonna keep winning goddamn competitions until he wins this whole thing.) 

Somehow, though, Zach manages to win the veto. The OTEV veto, for god sakes. It came at the exact right time. He’s so excited, he forgets for like half a second how fucking mad he is at Frankie and hugs him after the competition. It feels like home. 

He needs to get away from Frankie, now. 

***

A couple of hours later, the house is settled. Donny or Nicole will go home, and Frankie will go home the next week. Frankie follows Zach around for a few hours, begging to talk to him about something really important. He has something important to tell the whole house, but he wants, he needs, to talk to Zach first. 

Zach resists for exactly three hours. He knows his emotions are tied to Frankie’s, now, and when Frankie is sad, Zach can’t fucking stand it. Zach doesn’t know if it’s possible, but he needs them to be okay. He hates him, he loves him, he needs him, Zach isn’t sure. 

He follows Frankie into the storage closet – their room, where all their early moments occurred, where Zach first let himself consider the possibility that this man was his match, his soulmate. He closes the door and glances expectantly at Frankie, waiting to see if what he has to say will make it better. 

He needs it to be better.

“So,” Frankie starts, hesitating, “I haven’t been entirely honest with you…”

“No shit.”

“I’m not talking about the game, Zach, there’s something I need to tell you, about me, about who I am outside of this house.”

Zach’s intrigued, almost glad he agreed to the talk. The Frankie outside the house is the one he gets to keep, and he wants to know what he’s getting into. 

“Get on with it, then,” Zach says, clipped. Just because he’s curious doesn’t mean he has to be nice. 

“I’ve been lying to you, Zach. Not just you, I mean, everyone. I haven’t portrayed myself in the house the way I actually am.”

“So I fell in love with an impostor?” Zach grits out. 

“Zach attack, let me finish, okay? Just let me finish what I have to say, and then you can yell at me all you want.” 

Zach nods reluctantly, ceding the floor. 

“My name, the name I go by, is Frankie J. Grande. The Frankie you’ve been introduced to is the one of three years ago. I used to be on Broadway, but I’m not, anymore. I’m a YouTuber, I have over a million followers on my combined social media sites, Twitter, Vine, Instragram….”

Zach is so confused. Why would Frankie lie about that? It’s not like he’s a lawyer or a cop or some profession people would hate. Of course he’s known. He’s so fucking talented, and the world should love him. He starts to ask the question, but Frankie keeps going.

“That’s not the main thing, though. My family, well, we’re pretty well-off. I’m playing for charity, not for me. My main passion is building schools in Africa and that’s what I’m planning to do with whatever money I win. And my sister, well, Ari’s not her full name. It’s Ariana.”

Frankie pauses, like he’s expecting Zach to make some sort of connection. After a moment, Zach gets it.

“The pop star? I’ve got one less, one less, problem? Your sister is Ariana Grande?” 

“Yes? I had to lie about it, because, well, if people knew my baby sister was famous, and really rich, that would be reason to get me out, right away. But we don’t share money and I’m doing this to build schools, but just, the lying was getting to me. Especially to you, Zach. You’re my everything, now. I couldn’t keep myself from you. Not anymore.”

Zach has no idea what to fucking think, but he feels his resolve breaking. He knew he wouldn’t be able to stay mad at Frankie for long, and he could see how scared Frankie was, right now. Zach goes on instinct. He walks up to Frankie and kisses him, hard. 

He feels like fireworks, again. How was he ever mad at Frankie? This relationship is obviously the most important thing in his life, now. 

They kiss until neither of them can breathe and they pull apart, gasping. 

“So, we’re good?” Frankie asks, laughing. “You don’t hate me, anymore?”

Zach feels like he should hate Frankie – of course he’s going to win AFP (if he doesn’t make it to the final 2, which doesn’t seem possible at this point) if his sister is fucking famous and he’s going to use the money for charity – but he just, can’t.

“Don’t fucking do that to me again,” Zach chides. 

“Do what, babe?” Frankie’s already back to himself, smiling like nothing had gone wrong. When they’re good, it seems like everything in the world is good. 

“Lie to me, make me hate you. I can’t deal with that pressure, Frankie. You know I think the world of you, and I just need us to be right.” 

“Of course, babe, I can do that. God, I’m so glad you don’t hate me anymore. I was actually dying inside.” 

Zach kisses him again, he doesn’t want to spend anymore time hearing about how Frankie was sad. He can’t. The kiss is chaste this time, sweet. Zach’s got his right hand on the nape of Frankie’s neck, and the left hand on Frankie’s back, but his hands stay put. He takes his time getting to know Frankie’s mouth, figuring out what pressure he likes and only pulls away when Frankie makes a move for his neck.

They stay tangled together until the door starts to open, and then quickly pull away. Derrick walks in, still in his suit from hosting the Battle of the Block. Frankie asks him to attend a house meeting he has to have, and Derrick agrees. Zach doesn’t know how the rest of the house will take Frankie’s news, but he’s glad he doesn’t need to lie about it. They are just so good, now.


	6. Chapter 6

Zach’s happy when Frankie and Derrick win HOH for the week, and he’s ecstatic when Frankie gets to keep it, keeping Donny safe for the week, too. He’s just as thrilled when Frankie wins the veto on Saturday.

He’s less than happy when Frankie is cold to him all Saturday night, and downright depressed when Frankie decides to go to bed at midnight on Sunday, and tells Zach not to come sleep with him because he needs to catch up on his beauty rest.

Zach knows that somehow Derrick or Cody or whoever convinced Frankie to put Zach up, and Zach knows if he’s on the block against Cody, or even Caleb, he’ll go home.

Around 1am, he gives up trying to figure out what’s going on and makes his way to the Rock Room, where only Donny is sleeping.

He can’t sleep, though. Frankie is gonna fuck him over, and not in the good way. Zach tosses and turns until 8am, when he gets out of bed and decides to go confront Frankie, see if he can change his mind.

Zach trudges up to the HOH bedroom and knocks fairly loudly, considering he doesn’t expect Frankie to be awake. Frankie comes right away, though, huge bags under his eyes. He looks like Zach feels, like a man drowning with no way to get to the surface. Frankie steps aside to let Zach in, and the older man goes to sit delicately on the tip of the bed.

“Hey, Zach Attack,” Frankie mutters weakly. “Morning."

“Who convicted you?” Zach demands after making sure the door is locked. “Why in the world do you think getting me out is a good idea?”

Frankie doesn’t even try to deny it. “It’s what everyone wants, babe. I’m so, so sorry, but if I don’t do this, I’m next. I gotta do what’s best for my game."

Zach stomps over from the doorway and sits right next to Frankie. He feels like he’s about to explode, there’s an earthquake going on, the only way to feel secure is to get Frankie back on his side. His soulmate, and he wants Zach out. Zach feels tears coming to his eyes, but quickly blinks them away.

Frankie notices. He notices every little quirk of Zach’s.

But Zach knows Frankie’s tells by now, too. He knows Frankie doesn’t want to do this, but he thinks it’s best for his game. He can’t have Frankie do this. The mate bond is’t designed to let external factors break up matched pairs, and when it does, things go horribly wrong for everyone involved. Does Frankie _know_ that? He has to stop Frankie from doing this.

“You know what’s mine is yours, right?” Zach delicately asks.

“Yeah, I guess,” Frankie begins, unsure. “What are you getting at?”

“When we get out of this house, one of my first stops is going to be a jewelry store. You know what I’m going to buy there? An engagement ring. We’re going to get _married_ , Frankie. What’s mine is yours.”

“You want to marry me?” Frankie looks shocked, like he still wasn’t sure of what a soul bond actually _meant_. Zach’s friends growing up mostly ended up being named like him, he sometimes forgets that the nameless don’t know as much about the process.

“Of course I want to marry you, you fruit loop. You were literally designed for me, and I you. If we get to the final two, that’s 550 thousand dollars for the two of us to share, to start our lives together.”

Frankie’s face has started to return to its normal expression, full of life, fire back in his eyes, like the thought of evicting Zach was destroying him inside. Zach is more than a little pleased about that.

“But what should I do, then, though? Keep the nominations the same?” Frankie inquires.

Was it really that easy? All Zach had to do was remind Frankie of the life they are going to have together, and he saved himself?

“Nah,” Zach answers. “Take down Caleb and put up Derrick. I don’t care which one of those two goes home. You and I start an alliance with Donny, and we can probably rope Caleb in once we convince him the Bomb Squad is over. With the house at 7, that’s the numbers. If someone comes back in the buyback, they’ll probably be on our side.”

“Fuck, Zach, that’s an amazing idea.” Frankie’s smile is back to full force, and his happiness warms up Zach. “I knew there was a reason I liked you so much.”

Frankie leans in to kiss Zach. Zach smiles, thinking he wants to spend every morning kissing Frankie, but he feels himself pulling away, unsure.

“What’s up, babe? Are you still mad at me?”

Zach’s not sure. He doesn’t feel mad, so to speak, but something’s definitely wrong. He pauses for a moment to try to vocalize his feelings in a way that doesn’t hurt Frankie, but still gets his point across.

“I just,” Zach begins, and then pauses again. “I just feel like I’m in this, 100%, and it doesn’t feel like you are, too.”

Frankie gets his sad face again, eyebrows scrunched in a way that they just shouldn’t be. 

“Zach, I fucking love you. Literally you saying the word ‘married’ right now put me on such edge, I never want to be without you, I don’t want to let you go. You want me to prove it?”

Zach laughs, confused. “I guess I believe you, babe. How would you even prove it, anyway?” 

Frankie gets the most adorable expression on his face and leans in to peck Zach on the lips. “I gotta run downstairs for a second, but stay here? Don’t let anyone come in if they try.”

Zach lets Frankie leave, but he’s confused. He’s exhausted from the not sleeping, so he moves from a sitting position to a lying down one. He closes his eyes for what seems like 10 seconds and wakes up to Frankie sitting down on the bed, grinning mischievously. All of a sudden, Frankie is on top of him, legs on either side of Zach, when Frankie leans in to kiss him.

The kiss is heated, unlike any of the other kisses they’ve shared. There’s intent in the way Frankie’s mouth moves against Zach, his tongue demanding entry, not asking. Zach loses himself in the kiss, thinking he could drown in Frankie. Eventually, he breaks away, breathless, and notices the items Frankie placed on the bedside table that weren’t there before: a box of condoms and a small bottle of lube.

“Frankie,” Zach murmurs, “do those mean what I think?”

“Babe, you stopped trusting me, and I deserve that, but I want you to trust me again. What better way to get you to trust me again than to literally tie myself to you? Once we settle our bond, you and I won’t be able to apart for more than a day or two. We’ll have to make top three, together.”

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Zach asks. “I mean, of course I want to be with you, that way, it’s literally the thing I want most, but just – Big Brother.”

“Fuck Big Brother,” Frankie retorts.

“I’d rather fuck you,” Zach drawls. “Okay, yeah, fine. You win.”

Zach’s hands find his way to the bottom of Frankie’s shirt (and Frankie must have really had a bad night if he slept with his shirt on) and immediately pulls Frankie’s shirt over his head. Frankie returns the favor and throws Zach’s sweater on the floor, growling a little bit as he does so. It’s the hottest sound Zach has ever heard. A few moments later, they’re both naked. (The feeds better be off right now.)

Zach lets Frankie trace kisses down his whole body, moaning when Frankie settles on his hip, on his name, the most sensitive spot on Zach’s body. Zach’s cock has not been touched yet, but of course he’s painfully hard.

Frankie pauses for a moment. “So, um, how should we do this?”

Zach laughs. “I’m pretty sure you’re the one with experience, babe. I have no idea what to do, but I want to try everything eventually.”

“No, I mean, do you want to top, or –“

“Oh. Babe, I started telling Cody on day 2 I wanted to fuck you. Can I?”

“Of course! Do you know what to do?”

“I think I can figure it out.”

Zach then reaches over Frankie to grab the lube from the table. He coats his hand generously and brings it to Frankie’s hole, sliding a finger in.

“Fuck, it’s been so long. You’re gonna need to be gentle, okay, babe? I can handle a second finger, though,” Frankie whispers, like it’s some big secret he’s letting Zach in on. Zach can’t help but grin as he puts a second finger in. He starts moving his fingers around each other and hears Frankie suck in a sharp gasp. Okay, maybe Zach’s doing something right.

“More, Zach, I need more, I need to feel you now.”

Zach works as quickly as he can to get Frankie open, feeling himself start to leak a little bit. Seriously, Frankie’s moans are the most erotic thing he’s ever heard. When he feels like Frankie is ready, Zach reaches over to grab a condom out of the big box Frankie brought upstairs. “How should we do this do this, babe?”

“Can I ride you?” Frankie asks, and he sounds wrecked. Zach nods, letting Frankie slot himself into position.

Zach hears more moaning. He’s not sure if he’s making the sounds or Frankie is, he can’t think, he just needs to feel – more. He lets Frankie move around, the room spinning, fireworks going off around him, the world literally shrinking to him and Frankie and the HOH room.

He’s had sex before, but it’s never felt like this. He starts thrusting slowly and turns off his brain. Every time he moves up, Frankie makes a sound, a gasp or a moan, or a sharp intake of breath. Zach can tell Frankie’s trying not to scream, and he cannot wait to get out this house to hear Frankie at his full volume, so Zach can know exactly how he turns Frankie into mush.

Zach loses all rational thought and starts rambling incoherently, “fuck, yes, mmmm, Frankie, why haven’t we done this yet, god I’m so glad you were gonna get me out, this is the best, Frankie, yes, Frankie, I’m gonna come.”

Frankie bends over so that they’re kissing again, the passion as heated as the first kiss of the morning, the kiss that convinced Zach this was real, this was it, this was everything. Zach comes without any warning, and it’s the best orgasm he’s ever had. He might have even blacked out for a second.

He knows Frankie isn’t done, though, so he reaches out and finds Frankie’s cock. He grabs it and plays with it, languishing in Frankie’s moans until Frankie too comes, all over Zach’s stomach. Zach doesn’t mind at all.

A few moments later, Frankie reluctantly rolls off of Zach, and gets out of bed, presumably to get tissues. Zach feels a sharp pang, an emptiness where Frankie was just. Zach guesses this is the bond settling, the need to touch his mate as much as possible for the next few days, because the absence of contact just feels wrong.

Frankie gets back in bed and cleans them up. The boys lie cuddled together for another hour, just enjoying being next to each other. They stay there until the wakeup call comes, telling them they have an hour until the veto ceremony.

Oh, this is gonna be fun. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, it's been a while. This is a short update, there will be more soon!

“My alliance wanted me to make a big move, so that’s what I’m going to do. Unfortunately, it’s not the move you guys wanted me to make. I’m going to use the power of veto on you, Caleb. But, Derrick, please take a seat.”

 

Cody’s mouth falls open in shock, Caleb looks dazed as he moves to the couches, Derrick has this slick little smile on his face. He doesn’t look mad, just, impressed. Victoria, as always, falls to notice that something just happened.

 

The ceremony ends and Derrick immediately asks to pull Frankie aside. As Frankie follows Derrick into the Storage Room, Zach feels the pull, like he’s one end of a magnet and Frankie the other, the further apart they get the worse it hurts.

 

It must be the bond. He learned in school, once you settle your bond, you need to be with your match pretty much nonstop for the first 24 hours. The _Big Brother_ house isn’t the most conducive place to meet your soulmate, Zach supposes.

 

Unless, of course, it is. Zach’s not sure he would have given Frankie the time of day if he hadn’t been stuck with him; he probably would have stayed as far away as possible because he knew his mate was a girl.

 

Ha. To think that just two months ago, Zach was straight as fuck. He finally understands now, though, why he had to get drunk to have sex, because it just wasn’t what he wanted.

 

His heart hurts, with Frankie in the other room. He knows he can’t let anyone in on the fact that Frankie’s his mate, though – Frankie’s actions during the veto ceremony surely tied them together, but no one understands quite how strong their bond is. 

 

Zach stays sitting on the couch, willing Frankie to come out of the storage room. He does after about ten minutes, just Derrick still inside. Frankie comes and sits right next to Zach.

 

“You happier now?” Frankie inquiries.

 

“Of course, babe,” Zach answers. “Do we gotta go about making our new alliance now?”

 

Frankie starts to speak, but stops when he sees Zach’s yawn. “Why don’t you go take a nap? I’ll talk to Donny and Caleb while you’re upstairs – Donny shouldn’t need any convincing, and Caleb will be harder, but he’s probably mad at you right now, because you were supposed to go up. Door’s unlocked now, but lock it when you get there.”

 

Zach smiles. “Can you come? Being next to you feels so much better.”

 

“Zach, come on, I got work to do! I’ll join if you’re still asleep in a couple hours, deal?”

 

Zach nods and makes his way upstairs. He gets into the empty HOH room, and he feels a little bit better. The room just screams Frankie, his clothes thrown everywhere because the pair got out of bed at the last possible moment and Frankie couldn’t decide what to wear. Zach crawls under the covers and it smells like Frankie, too. A wave of content washes over him. He could get used to sleeping in Frankie’s bed.

 

(He already has.) 


	8. Chapter 8

It’s a split vote for basically the second time all season. Two votes to keep Cody, three to keep Derrick. Zach didn’t care which of them went home, but voted to evict Cody. Next to Frankie’s, Cody’s betrayal felt deeper than the rest – the guy was his first friend in the house, after all.

The night goes pretty perfectly. There’s a buyback, but Nicole ends up coming back. Zach never thought he would have been happy to see her, but the radical power shift caused him and Frankie to need numbers.

So they make an alliance, a new final four – Zach, Frankie, Donny, Nicole. Donny wins HOH, which certainly sweetens the pot. They’ll send home either Christine or Derrick this week, put ‘em both on the block and see who sticks. Frankie somehow manages to convince Caleb to join the team, that getting Cody out was a good idea – one true competitor down so Caleb can do better at competitions.

He’s so easy, that Caleb. Zach thinks he might actually have a chance again, after all. 

***

With Donny in the HOH suite, and Derrick and Christine picked as have nots, there are six available beds for five people. Nicole and Victoria each claim a bed in the Fire Room.

Caleb, ever the oblivious one, takes the corner bed in the Rock Room. Zach thinks about trying to convince him to stay with the girls, but Nicole picks up on it and shoots the idea down before he can even try. 

Frankie and Zach take the bed furthest away from Caleb. It’s going to be a hard week. They can’t show too much affection, let anyone else know how deep their bond goes. Hopefully it won’t be too bad. 

As it turns out, it’s awful. The first night, Caleb asks Frankie why he doesn’t take the middle bed. Frankie mutters something about how cuddling helps him sleep. Zach thinks it’s a BS excuse, but Caleb, of course, is satisfied.

Thank god Caleb asked Frankie, not Zach. Zach doesn’t know how to lie about the bond, to not tell Caleb that it physically pains him to fall asleep without touching Frankie in as many places as possible, to figure out the sleeping pattern that works best for them, that they’re going to be sharing for the rest of their lives. That he feels like electricity is being pumped through his veins when Frankie is curled into him, that he feels emptiness when Frankie’s elsewhere. 

Zach’s so fucked, and it’s the most wonderful feeling in the world.

***

They startle awake after Caleb snores. Frankie’s head had found a spot on Zach’s chest, even though Zach tried (not really) to push him off arguing that a pillow would be so much more comfortable. Frankie’s left leg was curled over Zach, too, but when he wakes up, he rolls off of Zach, back on his side. Zach instantly feels cold from the loss of body contact, but he feels a little warm, too. On Frankie’s journey back to his side, he might’ve accidentally (not really) found some of Zach’s sensitive spots, too. 

Frankie whispers right in his ear: “how asleep do you think Caleb is, babe?” 

Zach, having just been roused awake, doesn’t quite catch on to Frankie’s meaning. “Um, he looks pretty out of it?”

“Babe,” Frankie starts. Zach can feel Frankie’s grin against his ear. “I mean, how asleep is he, how loud do you think we can be without him waking up.”

Oh. Zach feels his face sprouting a grin that probably matches Frankie’s. “Probably sufficiently asleep, yeah.”

All of a sudden, Zach feels a beautiful pressure on his neck. Frankie’s kissing him, but not like they do in public. Frankie starts sucking and it feels amazing, but Zach has to pull away.

“Something wrong, babe?” Frankie asks.

“No,” Zach responds, breathless. “I just don’t want you to leave a mark. Make everyone confused, realize there’s something really going on with us…”

“You ashamed of me, Zachary?” 

This is a very hard conversation to have whispering. “No!” he exclaims, probably a bit too loudly. “I just, don’t, well, I don’t want everyone to know and have it screw up our game, even more.”

Frankie giggles. “I know, Zach! I’m just kidding. You proposed to me, after all. Maybe I should just mark you, somewhere else.”

Propose? Zach did not propose. He said they were gonna get married, yeah, but that was just a natural consequence of a soul bond. But now Frankie was putting ideas in his head, and he liked where it was going.

But he’ll deal with that later, and right now he has to deal with Frankie taking off his shirt. Frankie, of course, went to bed shirtless, so that’s one less obstacle Zach has to deal with. 

Frankie starts peppering Zach’s chest with kisses, making a slow, lazy trail downwards. When Frankie gets to his destination and starts to wrestle Zach’s gym shorts down, moving closer and closer and Zach’s starting to feel the perfect agony and he can’t help it, he lets out a loud moan. 

Frankie giggles again, but unfortunately, it’s not the only sound they hear. Caleb starts stirring, and Zach sighs, and starts to motion for Frankie to start pulling his way up.

Zach’s fine getting naked in front of cameras when anyone could watch from their computers, but it’s a whole different story when there’s someone else in the room. Caleb seems like he didn’t actually wake up, but Zach can’t just risk it. He chickens out, but pulls Frankie up so that their foreheads are touching. 

“I’m sorry, babe,” Zach apologizes. “It’s just weird.”

“I get it. I do. It’s just been less than 24 hours since I gave up the HOH room, and I’m missing the time with you already! Guess we’ll have to win next week and keep the room for the rest of the summer,” Frankie murmurs.

Zach likes that plan. He lets Frankie kiss him lazily and it feels so, so nice. Eventually, though, Frankie rolls off Zach, so they can get some sleep. Zach could stay like this forever.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a gross amount of time since an update! This was posted on tumblr a little over a week ago :)

The next week, Caleb wins HOH and Derrick wins $5000 in the most annoying way possible. Zach’s so glad he and Frankie decided to let Caleb in on their new “alliance” when Frankie manages to convince Caleb to pick Derrick and Donny as the have nots for the week. The girls shouldn’t have to go on slop, Frankie said, and it was soo kind of him and Zach to make Caleb a part of their new, better alliance – the people in the jury would so respect Caleb for his smart game play and all.

Right. It’s so easy to tell Caleb what he wants to hear. Zach’s not complaining, though. This week, Christine, Nicole, and Victoria each take a bed in the Fire Room, meaning the Rock Room is inhabited by Zach and Frankie alone.

Well, alone if you can ignore the fact that there are cameras documenting his every move, every minute of the day. Zach thought he would be bothered that the world would know what he did all the time. But now that he’s found Frankie, his soul mate, he doesn’t even care. He wants the world to know how important Frankie is, how Frankie is his life now, how he basically means everything.

Frankie’s somehow still a little reluctant. Zach knows it’s different for the nameless. They spend their whole lives hoping, maybe, that someone will find them. Even though Zach’s never felt more sure about anything, it seems like Frankie still believes this is all too good to be true. (The bond is starting to settle, Frankie can leave the room without it physically paining Zach, but Zach somehow figures out that it was never as bad for Frankie as it was for him. He’s not worried, though, because that’s how it’s supposed to go.)

Anyway, Zach knows that he belongs to Frankie, and Frankie him. He has a plan to prove this to Frankie, but it could go one of two ways. He needs to see how the season plays itself out.

***

Zach can’t fall asleep Sunday night. True to form, he slept in way too late with no veto competitions or ceremonies to deal with in the morning, but he wanted to go to bed when Frankie went to bed, and Frankie for some reason was tired really early. (At like 1. Yes, Zach knows he’s ridiculous sometimes.)

Frankie’s been a little bit off since the ice competition – he played as hard as ever, but the backyard had been pumped with fans to keep the ice as hard as it needed to be, and it might have screwed with Frankie’s circulation or something.

(Well, Frankie might be screwing with him as an excuse to cuddle as close in as he can. Not, of course, that he needs an excuse, but Zach doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t mind.)

Even though they’ve had the bedroom to themselves the last few nights, they’ve kept their activity relatively calm. Zach, for all he doesn’t care about how anyone in American can see *anything* he’s doing, feels surprisingly uncomfortable at what might happen if, say, Victoria was to walk in.

Not tonight, though. Frankie’s been asleep for what must have been two hours now, and Zach is pretty sure Nicole and Victoria have finally gotten themselves to bed. In his slumber, Frankie has somehow managed to curl into Zach so that every part of his body is touching Zach’s, and Zach feels electrified. He doesn’t know if it’s the soul bond or just the ordinary chemistry of another body touching his, but it’s a feeling he wants to keep forever. He does, however, want to get closer.

He solves his dilemma on how to do this when he rolls on top of Frankie. His cock, which had been half-hard for hours now, fully springs to attention as soon it gets in contact with Frankie’s. All Zach wants, in the moment, is more friction.

He’s never quite sure what the camera shows – he thought no one would be watching during the middle of the night when only the houseguests, who didn’t have to go to work or anything the next day, were up, but Frankie’s since informed him that people outside of America watch, and students who are off during the summer don’t have to wake up the next day, and there are some people who could be so into them that they would forego sleep entirely to catch moments shared between the pair. (Zach thinks that’s unlikely, but who even knows anymore – when the bond settled, everything changed. CBS is probably milking them for all they’re worth.)

He licks a stripe up Frankie’s neck, settles on a spot he knows Frankie loves, and mouths there for a few seconds but pulls away before he can leave a mark. He cannot wait until they get out of this house and Zach can do anything he wants. Anything. But that’s for later, not now.

Now, he has to wake Frankie up. A few more kisses around the spot Zach’s just made sensitive, and he gets his way. Frankie opens his eyes.

“Babe, everything okay? What time is it?” Frankie asks, all innocent.

Zach responds by grinding his hips together into Frankie. Frankie moans, losing all traces of innocence from his voice.

“Seriously, though, what time is it?” Frankie asks, his voice all scratchy.

“We have a good amount of time until the veto ceremony,” says Zach, dodging the question. He thinks it’s around 3am, but doesn’t want to lose the friction he has just to glance at the clock.

“Good,” Frankie concludes, voice sounding like he just accepted a challenge.   

Zach doesn’t think he’ll fall back to sleep anytime soon.

***

They’re dead at the veto ceremony, but they don’t have to do any work. Christine unsurprisingly takes herself off the block, and Caleb selects Victoria as the replacement nominee with glee in his voice.

Derrick goes home three days later, and the power shift seems complete. Zach’s plan - to get Frankie to understand how much he truly cares - is still in play. 

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me at tumblr (mangoapplepie.tumblr.com)!


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